Lactobacillus ginsenosidimutans sp nov., isolated from kimchi with the ability to transform ginsenosides

Abstract

Biotransformation of ginsenosides was examined using lactic acid bacteria isolated from several kinds of kimchi. A Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, and rod-shaped lactic acid bacterial strain, designated EMML 3041(T), was determined to have ginsenoside-converting activity and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Strain EMML 3041(T) displayed beta-glucosidase activity that was responsible for its ability to transform ginsenoside Rb-1 (one of the dominant active components of ginseng) to F-2 via gypenoside XVII, ginsenoside Rb-2 to compound Y via compound O, ginsenoside Rc to compound Mc via compound Mc(1), and ginsenoside Rd to ginsenoside F-2. On the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain EMML 3041(T) was shown to belong to the genus Lactobacillus and is closely related to Lactobacillus versmoldensis KU-3(T) (98.3 % sequence similarity). Polyphasic taxonomy study confirmed that the strain EMML 3041(T) represents a novel species, for which the name Lactobacillus ginsenosidimutans sp. nov. is proposed, with EMML 3041(T) (=KACC 14527(T) = JCM 16719(T)) as the type strain.